Alfa Romeo & Lancia At Mille Miglia 2017 – Video
The 90th edition of the Mille Miglia, “the most beautiful travelling museum in the world” as it was aptly called by Enzo Ferrari, has just ended on the finish line of Viale Venezia in Brescia. Alfa Romeo was the undisputed star with two models on the podium of the race with a vintage appeal that thrills drivers and enthusiasts worldwide still today: the 6C 1750 GS (1931) and the 6C 1500 Gran Sport Zagato (1933).
It was a triumph for the 6C 1750 Gran Sport that won the 1930 edition of the race with Tazio Nuvolari and Giovanni Battista Guidotti as crew. That was the year of the legendary “overtaking in the dark” episode when Nuvolari achieved the unprecedented feat of averaging 100 km/h over the entire course and was one of Alfa Romeo’s eleven wins in the years from 1927 to 1957 of the Mille Miglia as a proper race: a record that was to remain undefeated.
The 90th edition of the Mille Miglia – of which Alfa Romeo was Automotive Sponsor – was accompanied by the most recent Alfa Romeo models: Stelvio, the first Alfa Romeo SUV ever, which guarantees peerless performance and outstanding driving satisfaction as a result of its mechanical and engineering excellence, and the alluring Giulia, the sporty sedan that represents the new paradigm of the brand with its revolutionary concept of style, sportiness and technology. Both models embody all the elements that have made Alfa Romeo one of the most desirable brands: quintessentially Italian design, high-performance engines, perfect weight distribution, unique engineering solutions and the best weight-to-power ratio in its category.
The Aprilia, introduced in 1936, was the spiritual legacy of Vincenzo Lancia, who had passed away a few months before the commercial launch of the car. Provided with a unitised body integrated with the chassis without B-pillar, the appearance of the car was truly innovative. It stood out among the sedans of its day for its particularly aerodynamic line and light-weight, securing a top speed of about 130km/h and good fuel efficiency at the same time. The narrow-V4 with hemispherical combustion chambers contributed to this result. In addition to telescopic independent front suspensions, by now standard on Lancias, the car fitted independent suspensions on the rear axle.
Lancia Aurelia B24 Spider (1955)
Designed by Pinin Farina and considered by many to be the most beautiful spider in the world , the B24 was presented at the Brussels Motor Show on January 15, 1955. Two-hundred and forty units were made, with production ending in October 1955. The car had distinctive design details, such as the “wing-shaped” bumpers, doors without handles and panoramic windows and windscreen with American-style retracted pillars. The engine was the legendary V6 designed by Francesco De Virgilio. It had a displacement of 2451cm3 and developed 118hp, driving it to a top speed of 180km/h. The later “Convertible America” version, which debuted at the Turin Motor Show in January 1956, appeared much more classic and comfortable: the engine was slightly less powerful and the doors were fitted with handles and winding windows. The production continued until the end of 1958. The Aurelia will be driven by Helio Ascari, descendant of the legendary Alberto who triumphed at the Mille Miglia in 1954 behind the wheel of the Lancia D24.